Unnecessary enemies: Why we defend coastal land rights

For many Americans, the cornerstone of “the American dream” is the possibility to someday own a slice of a beach paradise. But when it comes to beaches—or any land along our coasts—government agencies have declared open season on private property rights.

Government and environmental organizations often suggest there’s an inherent conflict between private land ownership and the public good. Don’t buy it. Larry Salzman explains how private land ownership can dramatically increase opportunities for the public to experience our country’s beauty—and protect it.

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George Lucas just bought a $28 million California beach home—here’s all the red tape he (and any California homeowner) faces

Filmmaker and sci-fi deity George Lucas recently purchased a $28 million, two-acre plot of California beachfront land adjacent to his existing home in the city of Carpinteria.

The Star Wars creator hasn’t announced his plans for the new property. But since California bureaucracy can be harder to understand than a Jar Jar Binks poetry slam, Nathaniel Hamilton asked some of PLF’s property rights and land use experts just how much red tape and bureaucracy Lucas (or any California coastal homeowner) would face to accomplish some standard renovation and improvement projects.

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California's war on freelance journalism is unconstitutional

A California law that took effect January 1 threatens the First Amendment rights of nearly every freelance journalist in the Golden State and would likely put thousands of them out of work.

As Nathaniel Hamilton explains, politicians pushing for AB-5 centered their talking points around new regulations for rideshare and “gig” workers. But soon after its passage, freelance journalists quickly realized how AB-5 would cost them their jobs.

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